


Homecoming

by turtleeden



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: ...in chapter form lol, Joker Exploration: His Parents, Meet the Family, Multi, Team as Family, but i finally have a solid idea about how i wanted to show joker's parents, i thought that i'd do something a little different, swear to my bones really helps with writing this, this is practically headcanons: the fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-07-21 00:44:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16148978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/turtleeden/pseuds/turtleeden
Summary: The Phantom Thieves make the long drive to Akira's hometown in order to bring him back home. While they were all not looking forward to the inevitable moment where they have to say goodbye, they are all also seeing the two things that they didn't know much about their leader: His hometown and his parents.





	1. Welcome Home

Their van drove through the empty streets of a quiet town, accompanied only by the few streetlights that were beginning to light up the road and the gradient colored sky that was quickly turning dark. Admittingly, they didn’t go straight to their intended destination. If they did, they probably would have made it long before it had gotten dark. Even so, the former Phantom Thieves didn’t seem to regret the choice, given that they were driving their leader back to his hometown. All of them just wanted to stay with each other a little longer before they’d have to say goodbye.

Makoto keeps her eyes on the road, her watch vigilant as Akira guides her with directions to his house. The rest of the gang were either fighting off sleep or just silent as their eyes were glued to the windows, looking around at the sights… or lack there of.

“What a quaint little town.” Haru voiced, looking out the window as they drove by several small buildings and houses.

“Indeed. It’s also rather quiet… the lack of traffic and blaring horns is a striking change from the city life we’re all used to.” Yusuke mused, his focus being more so towards the sky rather than the buildings themselves. He smiled a little to himself as he held his hands up in a frame, as if envisioning a canvas. “Hmhm… I would love to capture this sky on canvas sometime. Such a clear view away from the bright city lights...”

“I don’t see too many people around.” Ann mentioned, her focus being more so on the sidewalks rather than the buildings themselves. Just as she said, there was barely a soul out and about at this hour, despite it being early evening. “I guess it _is_ pretty late after all, but even then there were always a lot of people going about their business and doing whatever back home. I don’t see anybody here.”

“Dude, we’re definitely not in Tokyo anymore.” Ryuji mentioned, his focus being all over the place as he tried to catch as many sights as he possibly could. “Barely any cars, any people… I don’t even think that we’ve seen a freaking train station around here yet! This is too wild! You sure this is the place, Akira?”

Akira nodded, looking ahead at the road with certainty. “Oh yeah. I’m sure.” he answered, his tone solid. If anyone would catch the look on his face, he looked almost… wistful. He’s grown so much in this past year, and yet he felt like even he could drive these streets blindfolded. He’s changed, and this place… really hasn’t changed at all. It truly is just as he left it.

 _‘...Are **they** going to be the same too?’_ he couldn’t help but think to himself. _‘...Will they welcome me back with open arms? Or…’_ His fingers idly drum against the car seats, pushing down any lingering anxieties that would creep up on him. They were almost there… he recognizes this neighborhood well. “Turn left right here, Makoto.” Akira said, pointing at the stop sign up ahead. “It’s just a few more blocks after this point.”

“Here? Alright.” Makoto said, nodding as she flipped on the left turn signal. As she turned, she abides by the speed limit as she kept a watchful eye on the road. The van’s headlights were the brightest thing in the neighborhood as it drove down the street slowly. There were a few lights in different houses indicating that some people were at home and still awake, but otherwise this street looked as empty as the ones before it. Even the occasion car driving in the opposite lane would be a shock to them.

“Even I’ll have to admit it, Akira-kun… your neighborhood is even quieter than mine.” Makoto then voiced as she drove. “I’ve considered my neighborhood being pretty quiet in comparison to everywhere else save for Yongen-Jaya, but this... you certainly have me beat.”

Akira chuckled a little then. “Welcome to the country.” he replied. In retrospect, Akira’s hometown was a little bigger than a regular country town, but it certainly was no Tokyo.

The van kept going down the street, moving at an easy pace as they pass by the neighborhood. Barely a sound was heard outside save for a few crickets if someone would open the window, and the lights in the houses were either dimly lit or not lit at all. The one thing that did catch everyone’s eye though, was a house that was up ahead. It looked like every other house in this area, but in comparison to the houses surrounding it, it shone brightly like a beacon. In every major window that they could see up ahead, they could all tell that the lights were on. 

Akira leaned forward in his seat as he saw it, and he found himself heaving a nervous sigh at the sight. His hand was squeezing the front seat as he kept his eyes on that house, his lips thinning as memories flooded his mind… Even as he did that, he nods to himself in his certainty, and the ends of his lips slowly curved into a small, nervous smile.

He’s… home.

“There it is.” he confirmed, pointing at it.

Makoto’s head perked in attention as she glanced over at where he was pointing. “Oh… I see it. I’ll find a good place to park then.” she replied, slowing down as she drew close to the house in question. 

She parks at a spot near the curb closest to the walkway of his house, yet she was trying to be mindful of the space that the van would occupy. They needed to let everyone stretch their legs, help Akira with his bag, and yet at the same time they had to try to not disturb any of his neighbors anymore than they already do. If they thought that their group stood out before in the city, they were going to stick out like sore thumbs in a town like this.

“We’re here, guys.” Akira announced, rubbing the head of a sleeping Morgana in his lap. Morgana stirs with a groan before he sits up and yawns, looking around his surroundings as he reads the mood.

“So… this is where you came from?” he asked, staring at the lit-up house from the window.

“Pretty much.” Akira answered, nodding.

Haru gently nudges Futaba, who ended up falling asleep on her lap before they even reached the town limits. “We made it, Futaba-chan.” she said softly, shaking her shoulder until Futaba finally stirred. Futaba rubs at her eyes as she rose up from Haru’s lap, and she winced at the first feeling of a bright light piercing her vision.

“It’s too bright…” she groans, still rubbing at her eyes as she looks away from the light. “Where are we, anyway?”

“We’ve arrived at Akira’s hometown.” Yusuke explained. “In fact, we’re in front of his house.”

“Wait, seriously? Already!?” she shrieked, practically shooting up from her seat so that she could look out the window to see the house itself. Again, she winces at she adjusted her eyes to the light. At least she knows where the source is now. “Whoa… it’s uh, pretty… normal. Looks a little different from Sojiro’s house, but other than that…” she trailed off, giving off her initial impressions from where she was.

“Well, we’re not just gonna be out here staring at his house all night, are we?” Ryuji chimed in, being the first one to open the door and exit out of the van. “C’mon! I’ve gotta check out your place, man! I wanna know if it’s as wild as the attic when we first saw it!”

“Dude, the attic wasn’t even that big a deal then.” Akira sighed, slinging his bag over his shoulder. As he moved, Morgana leapt out of the car so that he could get out with ease. Soon enough, everyone followed suit and got out of the van one by one. 

With everyone accounted for, they walk towards the direction of Akira’s house and stood by the small walkway. The family name _‘Kurusu’_ was engraved in small characters on a plaque right above their mailbox. At least they were assured that they were in the right place when they saw that. Akira stood a little further from the others, just staring at the front door as he tightened the hold on his bag. He was finally home after a long time away… and yet he could feel his nerves stirring from deep inside of him. Things didn’t look like it changed from a year ago… but he knew by now that he shouldn’t expect the typical things. He had no idea how this was going to go.

“Your family won’t mind if we’re all here, right?” Ann asked suddenly. Akira glanced from behind him as he heard that, looking at everyone once before shaking his head.

“They won’t mind.” he replied. At least, _they better not._ Everyone here has become just as much as family to him as they were. In some ways… they were more than that.

“I certainly hope not… I would hate to impose on them by being here all of a sudden.” Makoto mentioned a little nervously. “Our group is rather large, after all.”

“Don’t worry so much. It’ll be okay.” he assured to them… and also to himself, if he were to be truly honest. Akira looked back towards the front door, trying to calm his nerves before he tried anything else. His lips pressed together in a thin line as thoughts began to enter his mind, and his hold on his bag strap tightened even more. This was both a long-awaited return… and a temporary goodbye… words couldn’t accurately describe what Akira was feeling right now.

“...Don’t go anywhere, guys.” he said. “Not yet.”

“What, is that all you’re worried about? Relax, man.” Ryuji said with a smile.

“We’re not going anywhere, don’t worry.” Ann assured.

“This is meant to be a joyous occasion, my friend. You should enjoy it.” Yusuke said.

“We’ll be right here if you need us.” Makoto reminded him.

“I-In the meantime, try not to cry when you knock on the door.” Futaba added.

“I’m sure that your family will be happy to see you again.” Haru assured.

“...We all feel the same. So, go on already. Knock on the door.” Morgana urged.

Akira looked back at every one of his friends once more and smiled. It really was reassuring that they got his back on this… and everything. He turned to face the door and walked down the walkway, his inner anxiety stalking his every step as he moved closer and closer. Akira walked up the few steps on the front porch and approached the front door. He gave a few knocks on the surface, then steps back and waits. He faintly heard scurrying feet scrambling and bumping into things from the inside, as if this person was in a great hurry to open the door. And sure enough, the door flew open with a quickness as it was being pulled with haste.

The one who answered the door while panting under her breath was an older woman. Her hair was a dark shade of black, much like Akira’s was, the length of it being short save for a long parted section that was framing one side of her face. Her eyes were huge with a dark shade of brown, and she had the remnants of once dark bags resting beneath them. She was dressed rather… casually for one her age, with a black, light cardigan draped over a simple red t-shirt and slim-fitting gray pants. Her style was more youthful than one would typically expect from a parent of a teenager, but to Akira she remained unchanged. There are a few minor differences between the two physically, like Akira being much taller than her and her hair was not nearly as frizzy as his… but the resemblance here was uncanny.

Both of them stood there on the porch in silence. Akira looked down on her being practically speechless, while she looked upon him as if she was ready to cry. Whatever words that he wanted to say to her here, Akira couldn’t find any of them at the moment. All he could do was just look at her with a mix of happiness, longing, and nervousness in his eyes. Finally, as if finding his resolve, he took a deep breath and attempted to speak.

“Mom --”

Akira’s mother immediately stepped out from the door with haste and cradled him in a tight hug, allowing her tears to finally fall as she broke down into a sob. Her whole body shook with a fury as she embraced him, but still, she doesn’t let go. Something in Akira broke once she hugged him, and he couldn’t help but feel a few tears falling down his face while he stood there, stunned. All of his nerves and the feelings that he tried to hold back before were now flooding out of him. He heaved a few short breaths, choking up before he finally broke down too. Akira returned the hug in full as he buried his face in his mother’s hair, his own sobbing muffled in sound as he cried. Even though he’s crying, there is a bright smile on his face as he shook in her arms like a child.

“Welcome home.” His mother greeted, smiling through her tears.

“...I’m home, Mom.” Akira voiced, his voice cracking when he spoke.

The two of them remained there in front of the door embracing for some time before they finally released each other. As Akira’s mother pulls back, she wiped her eyes with the corners of her hand as her crying slowed down. Still, she kept her smile as she laughed to herself in her joy, occasionally sniffling from her past crying fit.

“Akira… God, look at you…” she breathed, reaching her hands up to cup his face. Akira doesn’t do anything here, instead he just allowed his mother to do whatever she wished. Her thumbs gently wiped away the tears that were staining his wet face, even long after his crying stopped. “I hardly recognized you when I opened the door… I realize that it has been a year, but... you look so different! There’s a clearness to your eyes, and your presence feels more confident than before... It’s as if my boy has become a man before my eyes.”

“Mom…”

“I mean, look at this handsome face! Please tell me you weren’t too much of a little heartbreaker in Tokyo!”

“Oh, god… Mom!” Okay, he needed to _stop her right there._ She laughs heartily as she finally releases him, lightly brushing away parts of his bangs that hung over his eyes.

“I kid… mostly.” she said, her laughing dying down. She took a moment to briefly check the time on her watch before completely calming herself down. “But you came back pretty late… The time is… what, almost eight o’clock? I thought you were coming in the afternoon, so your father and I had planned to make a welcome back dinner ready by the time you’d arrive. When it was about to be sunset, your father fell asleep while we were waiting for you. He’s still knocked out even as we speak.”

“Oh…” For the first time, Akira actually felt a little bad that he didn’t go straight home. He shoots an apologetic glance at his mother while nervously adjusting the strap on his bag. “...Sorry. I should’ve called beforehand.”

His mother shook her head in assurance as she placed a hand on her hip, tilting her body to the side so that she could see who else was standing in her yard. She smiled with a slight quirk upon her lips as she looked over at the large group. “Are they the reason why you’re so late?” she asked, gesturing her head towards everyone else. 

Akira turns his head to glance at everyone else when his mother mentioned them and… oh god, were most of them crying!? The girls were definitely crying, Yusuke was looking away with his hand over his mouth, and Ryuji in particular looked like he was having a fit as he vigorously rubs his nose on his jacket sleeve. Akira chuckled a little under his breath, shaking his head at the sight with a smile on his face. “Those are my friends, Mom.” he explained. “I’ve met all of them during my time in Tokyo. They’re… they’re very important to me.”

His mother smiled as she heard those words from him. “Mm, is that so? Well, in that case…” She then gave a gentle pat upon Akira’s shoulder before she walked down their small stoop, moving down the walkway so that she could meet the others. Everyone was really surprised that she even came down to see them in the first place, so they tried to pull themselves together as best as they could. After all, most of them were covering their mouths and wiping their eyes full of tears when Akira had his moment with his mother. ( _And the real shocking part to everyone is that she didn’t even bother to slip on some shoes before walking down there to them! She only had socks on! Didn’t her feet hurt doing that!?_ ) 

“A-Ah, hello! You’re Akira’s mother, right?” Ann voiced, clearing her throat after her own crying fit.

“I am.” she replied, nodding. Her smile was pleasant as she gave off a friendly presence, which helped everyone feel a little more at ease. “Akane Kurusu, at your service. I take it that you all are the ones I have to thank for taking care of my boy?”

“I-It’s more so the other way around… Akira-kun has been such a good friend to all of us.” Makoto interjected. Everyone else nodded fondly in agreement.

“U-Uh, sorry we were super late, Ma’am.” Ryuji began, rubbing the back of his neck. He of all people knew that it wasn’t cool to keep someone’s mom waiting for so long, so he in particular felt very apologetic. “It’s totally our fault that we got here in the middle of the night, but we couldn’t just let this guy go without a proper sendoff, y’know? I mean, he’s our friend. We’ve got history now.”

Akane made a satisfied hum as she slowly looks over everybody one by one before her focus returned to Ryuji. “Hm, I would’ve preferred it if you all came in when it was still brighter out… but I appreciate your honesty.” she mused, a small smile gracing her features as she chuckled under her breath. She took a moment to look back at her open door, quietly thinking to herself before she looked back towards the group. “...You kids are a long while away from Tokyo, you know? The roads here get really dark at night… Tell me, do any of you need to go back tonight? Do your families know that you’re here?”

“My mom knows.” Ryuji spoke. “Probably should call her soon since it’s pretty late. She’s prolly worried about me by now…”

“My sister knew that we were driving Akira-kun home today as well.” Makoto informed. “I knew that she was calling me because it is rather late, but I couldn’t answer her back by phone since I was still driving.”

“I should probably call Sojiro too…” Futaba muttered to herself, her eyes downcast.

Akane hummed a bit in thought before she moved on to her next question. “...And school?”

“It’s spring break for us, so it’s okay.” Ann answered.

“There are no conflicts to my schedule as well.” Yusuke informed.

“It is also the same for me.” Haru replied.

“I see…” Akane idly tapped her chin as if she was in deep thought, not noticing her son coming up from behind her to meet with the others. She took one more look back to the open door and nodded to herself, settling on an idea before she spoke again. “Then I suggest that you call your folks now. It doesn’t sit right with me to let you all drive back to the city this late at night, especially since all of you came all this way for Akira’s sake. So… you kids can stay here for the night. You’re free to take off in the morning.”

“For real?!” Ryuji exclaimed, not expecting that at all. Everyone else looks upon her in shock.

“A-Are you certain about this? I would hate to impose on your kindness.” Haru stuttered.

“You aren’t imposing if I’m inviting you in the first place.” Akane pointed out with a smile. “Besides… think of it as my show of thanks for taking care of my son.”

“Yes!” Ann cheered, clasping her hands together. “Thank you so much for this!”

“We greatly appreciate you doing this for us.” Makoto said, bowing her head politely in thanks.

Akane flashed a grin at them before she turned back towards the house, tucking parts of her hair behind her ear as she turned. “Let me hurry up and get this place together for you kids. After all, I was only expecting the three of us. Food’ll take longer to make for… _one, two, three…_ six more heads? Oh, yes… you kids better make yourselves comfortable.” With that, she gently rubbed at Akira’s arm before she walked back towards the house and approached the open door. “Come in when you all are ready.” she called back to them before disappearing inside. Before long, everyone else was chatting among themselves as if a great weight was lifted from them.

“So… that was your mother.” Yusuke spoke to Akira as he looked towards the front door. He smiled to himself in his musings as he glanced back at him. “Such an honest spirit… I can definitely see the resemblance.”

“You can just see that!? Uh, hello Inari? Akira looks just like her!” Futaba exclaimed. “Well, minus the hair of course. And he’s way taller. And maybe she’s a little paler. But still!”

“She certainly is frank, that’s for sure.” Makoto mused with a smile. “I honestly didn’t know what I was expecting if we met either of his parents, so Akira-kun’s mother seeming to be so grounded caught me off guard.”

“And she’s so warm as well… It definitely made me feel more at ease when speaking to her.” Haru agreed, nodding. “Perhaps Yusuke-kun was right when he mentioned seeing a resemblance between her and Akira-kun… I think I see it as well.”

Akira rubbed his neck idly as he chuckled a little bit, an amused grin forming upon his features. “Didn’t expect you guys to be such big fans of my mom.” he mentioned.

“Are you kidding me? She’s awesome, so far!” Ann exclaimed. “And it was so nice of her to offer us a place to stay on such short notice.”

“Welp, thanks to your mom, you’re stuck with us for a little while longer.” Ryuji mused as he slung an arm around Akira’s shoulder with a grin. “We don’t gotta be without ya just yet.”

Akira’s grin turned more fond as he glances over at Ryuji, and laughed to himself again. “No, I guess not.” he replied, his tone sounding more… relieved of that fact.

Everyone then laughed in relief as they begin to chat among themselves further, with some of them reaching over for their phones to call their loved ones as Akane suggested. Makoto walked a bit further away as she spoke to Sae on the phone, while Ryuji and Futaba remained close to the group as they talked to their guardians. Morgana, who has stayed quiet among the group when Akane came, ran and leaped upon Akira’s shoulders, balancing himself with ease.

“So how’re you going to explain me?” Morgana asked him.

“I’ll tell the truth. I ended up taking care of a high-maintenance stray cat over the past year.” Akira mused. Morgana scoffed at that snide little comment Akira made, but Akira only chuckled to himself as he gently stroked Morgana’s fur. “I’m not worried about you staying, Morgana. We’re stuck with each other, after all.”

“Well, you are the only one suitable to meet my very high standards in owners.” Morgana informed proudly.

“Yeah, right. I’m your only owner.” Akira replied, rolling his eyes.

“Precisely why you’re the only one suitable. I will accept no one else.” Morgana’s tone was rather matter-of-fact as he held his head up proudly. Akira shook his head as the corner of his lips curved in amusement. It just wouldn’t be Morgana without that high-and-mighty tone of his.

“Good news! My ma said it was okay!” Ryuji announced cheerfully.

“Sojiro said it was okay too!” Futaba nodded enthusiastically. “He said that he wasn’t worried if it was Akira’s folks looking after us. And naturally I reminded him to behave while I’m gone. With both me and Akira here, no one’s looking after him!”

Everyone else felt a sweat coming on from Futaba’s words for Sojiro’s sake. But overall it was all good news.

“I just got off the phone with Sis,” Makoto reported as she returned to the group. “She says it’s okay for me to stay here as well. After all, she doesn’t have to worry about us if we’re driving down the freeway at night.”

Akira smiled as he nods in understanding. He then gestured his head towards the open door, welcoming his friends inside. “Come on, guys. Let’s go on in. My mom’s friendly, but she’s not exactly patient.”


	2. I'd Call it Even

As everyone entered the house, they all immediately took off their shoes and set them by the doorway. From what they can see when they were all looking around, Akira’s house wasn’t exactly small. The immediate area they were in was big enough for all of them to crowd around without feeling like they were being squished together. From down the short hallway they could smell the wafting smell of food coming from the kitchen, which was also not too far away from where they were standing. And based on what they saw of the living room at the end of the hallway, at least what they assumed was the living room, it looked as spacious as Akane promised it would be. Akira could see some eyes ( _namely Ryuji and Futaba_ ) dart over to the stairs beside them, and he couldn’t help but sweat as he looked them over, knowing full well that they were thinking about what was in his actual room. 

“Don’t even think about going up there without me.” he warns, making the usual suspects freeze.

“Wh-What? You think we’re just gonna sneak off to your room by ourselves behind your back? ‘Course not! We totally… wouldn’t think about doing that… Hehe.” Ryuji assured, laughing nervously with a sweat to his brow.

“Hmph. Stingy Akira.” Futaba muttered, with a dissatisfied pout. “We were just looking around.”

Akira made a hum of disbelief as he eyed the both of them, making the two of them sweat a little more. Everyone else that was watching the three of them were either sighing to themselves in exasperation or shaking their heads while facepalming over them. Ryuji, feeling the pressure, rubs the back of his neck as he clears his throat and tries to hurriedly point something out. “Besides, you know we totally would’ve just bolted up the stairs if we really felt like doing that.” he said. Akira then cracks a smile and chuckles a little at Ryuji’s words. 

“Guess that’s true.” he replies, shaking his head. “...But after the food, okay?” With that, Akira presses on as he began to walk towards the living room proper, with everyone else following suit.

Akira could see his mother crouching down on the couch, softly patting her hands against another man’s face in order to wake him up. His unruly bangs obscured his closed eyes as he snores lightly on the couch, but Akira could just imagine the sight of the cool gray in his eyes… much like his own. _‘He **is** home after all…’_ he couldn’t help but think to himself. Akira keeps quiet as his mother continues to try and wake this man up, and he couldn’t help but smile to himself despite the anxiety growing inside of him once more. _‘Dad always was a heavy sleeper.’_ he thought.

“Yoshi…” Akane sighed, patting his face for what felt like the umpteenth time to her. She then shakes his body a bit to see if that would make any difference. Sadly for her, it didn’t. “Yoshi, wake up! Don’t make me hold your nose like a little kid.”

A soft, unintelligible murmur was made before he turns his body on the couch, still sound asleep with little disturbance despite his wife being right next to him. Akane’s jaw moved left to right as if she was angrily grinding her teeth, then sighed before she raised her voice a little louder.

“Yoshiaki!”

“...hn!? Wha…?” Akira’s father jolts up as he awakens with a start, and Akane sighs as she shakes her head at him. He wipes at his eyes as if to rub off the sleep before he yawns, his voice carrying a drowsy tone. “So loud, Aka-chan… I was right next to you, you know…” he groaned sleepily.

“You and I both know that you sleep like a rock.” Akane scoffed, unfazed at him sleepily calling her by his little nickname for her. “Do you know how many times I’ve patted your face? I was trying to be gentle, shame on me.”

“Akane, you have never been gentle in your life.” Yoshiaki replied with a sleepy smile, amused as his wife lightly smacked his arm with the back of her hand. He laughs a little to himself as he starts to straighten up a little more, starting with brushing his bangs away from his rapidly blinking eyes. His laugh was a warm, infectious sound that made a few of the others chuckle quietly to themselves. As Yoshiaki grows more alert, he searches around his immediate surroundings for a nearby clock. “Enough teasing, though… what time is it? Has Akira -- ?”

Akane smiles as she physically turns Yoshiaki’s head towards Akira’s direction so that he could see him standing there. Slowly, Yoshiaki’s eyes widens as he felt himself becoming more awake at the sight of his son. He straightens himself up fully as he finally rises from the couch and stands on his own two feet, his face holding a shocked expression as he gazes at Akira. 

Yoshiaki Kurusu was a tall man, about as tall as Yusuke was... if not a little taller. He had a light stubble that stretched across his chin, and his brown hair was covered in a familiar mop of messy curls that seemed to shoot out more from the bottom ends. As he brushes his long bangs away from his eyes again so that he could see more clearly, everyone could easily see where Akira gets his sharp, intense gaze from. If everyone didn’t just see his slumped, sleeping form on the couch, or his light-hearted demeanor when he woke up, then they would’ve initially thought that Yoshiaki looked a bit… imposing as he stood tall there. Much like how it was with Akane, they didn’t know what to expect with Akira’s father. Still, one could hear the raw emotion in Yoshiaki’s voice as he spoke again, uncertain since he still just woke up… but hopeful.

“Akira…?”

Akira smiled warmly as he met his father’s gaze. “...Hey, Dad.” he greeted.

“...Heh. Ha ha…” Yoshiaki began to laugh nervously. He slowly forms a big relieved smile as his laughter grew into something that was more cheerful. Akira couldn’t help but laugh a little as his father walks up and pulls him into a warm embrace as he laughed. Akira himself doesn’t cry this time. The wall that previously held up his inner emotions and anxieties came down when he saw his mother and she welcomed him back home readily. With his father, Akira smiles as he laughs along with him, returning his embrace in full. Akane smiles as she looks on at her boys, and everyone else was holding back the urge to cry in their happiness for Akira… again.

Akira can now safely say with confidence that he’s home.

“Welcome back… We’ve missed you, kid.” Yoshiaki greeted as his laughter waned.

“...I’ve missed you too, Dad.” Akira replied. “Sorry I’m late.”

“I’m not going to give you too much grief right now… You’re here. That’s enough for me.” Yoshiaki then opens his eyes and blinks in surprise at all of the other faces that were in his home. “Uh… Akane? I _am_ seeing a bunch of other kids in the living room, right?” he asked, dumbfounded.

“Yoshi, don’t worry. You’re not still asleep.” Akane assures him.

“These are my friends, Dad.” Akira informs, parting from him slightly as he gestures his head towards everyone.

“U-Uh, hey there! Heh, I didn’t think that I’d get to meet Akira’s old man!” Ryuji greeted, rubbing the back of his neck as he smiled widely.

“Hey now, I’m not _that_ old. Though I guess that I do sleep like an old man. I guess I’ll let that slide for now.” Yoshiaki chuckled, shaking his head. “It’s nice to meet you all. And sorry that you kids had to catch me sleeping on the couch. I was… Wait. Is that a cat?”

Yoshiaki happened to look down on the ground to see Morgana sitting there between Akira and everyone else. Earlier, Morgana jumped off of Akira’s shoulders before either Akane or Yoshiaki would take notice of him as he stood up, but he supposed that he took notice of him now.

“Wait, really?” Akane asked, walking closer to everyone so that she could see Morgana as well. Once she stops walking and looks around, she catches the sight of Morgana down below her feet. “Huh… It _is_ a cat… Imagine that.” she voices. Akane then bends down to Morgana’s level before she picks him up, giving him a quick lookover as she rises back up again.

“Please be gentle…” Morgana groaned. Though he supposed that Akira’s parents wouldn’t understand him at all, would they? To them, he was meowing very loudly.

“Chatty little thing, aren’t you?” Akane mused, smiling at him. “Did this little guy sneak into the house while everyone was getting in?”

“No, Mom. I brought him in.” Akira answered, shaking his head. “That’s Morgana… He’s my cat.”

“...’He?’ Isn’t Morgana supposed to be a girl’s name?” Yoshiaki asked, quirking a brow.

“He’s a boy, Dad.” Akira stressed.

“Listen to him. I’m not a girl!” Morgana stressed in agreement with Akira. Once again, to Akira’s parents, he was meowing very loudly.

“So we’ve got a house full of kids… and now a pet cat.” Yoshiaki recapped, briefly rubbing the back of his head. “I’ve gotta say… this isn’t how I expected today to go at all.”

“It’s kind of funny how life works sometimes. I’m just glad that this news is pretty positive for once.” Akane said, before turning towards her son with Morgana still in her hands. “So I take it that… _Morgana_ is staying?”

“He is, Mom.” Akira answered, nodding. “Don’t worry… I know that he’s my responsibility. I’ve been taking care of him for the past year, after all.”

“...Then I guess that’s even more reason for me to stop by the store again.” With that being said, Akane puts Morgana back on the floor gently and gives him a soft rub on the head. ( _Needless to say, Morgana was pleased by the action and mewled sweetly from it._ ) “That aside… Make yourselves comfortable, kids. We’ve got a lot a room for you all to sit around in. I’m not going to take very long. I just need a few more ingredients so that I could feed all of you… and apparently some cat food too.” 

Yoshiaki smiled gently as he makes his way back to the couch. “Take your time. I’m sure that I can keep a bunch of teenagers occupied.” he assured her.

“You? Yoshi, you couldn’t even keep up with Akira when he was a toddler. I worry about you going up against seven teenagers.” Akane fired back with a teasing drawl.

“Don’t underestimate me.” Yoshiaki said simply, chuckling under his breath. “Go ahead, Akane.”

Akane flashes a smile back at the group before she turns to gather her purse and her shoes. As she leaves, Yoshiaki leans his back comfortably on the couch as everyone else took their seats upon the living room floor. Smiling to himself as he looks at the group one by one, he strokes the stubble on his chin as he began to think of a subject to break the ice.

“So, what are all of your names?” he began, deciding to get to introductions.

“Name’s Ryuji Sakamoto.” Ryuji introduced cheerfully.

“I’m Ann. Ann Takamaki.” Ann said easily.

“I am Yusuke Kitagawa.” Yusuke informed with a polite nod.

“Makoto Niijima. It’s nice to meet you, sir.” Makoto greeted formally.

“I’m, u-uh… Futaba.” Futaba stuttered, nervously adjusting her glasses. “Futaba Sakura.”

“My name is Haru Okumura. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kurusu-san.” Haru greeted politely.

“Heh… no need to be so formal. You’re guests in this house, and friends of Akira from what I understand. You can rest easy here.” Yoshiaki assured. “As for me… I guess that you already get the gist by now. I’m Yoshiaki Kurusu, Akira’s father. It’s nice to meet all of you. I’ve got to say… I’m glad that Akira was able to make some friends while in Tokyo. After that… _incident_ , Akane and I were worried that no one was going to give him a chance. Yet here we are a year later… in a full house.”

“Yeah, well… a lot’s happened last year.” Ryuji said, casually leaning forward as he sat. “I mean, all of us here are all a buncha misfits and troublemakers who didn’t fit in anywhere. Akira was just like us… and we just sorta clicked from there, one by one. He’s the one who brings us all together, y’know? We would’ve never gotten through the year without him.”

“I think you’re giving me too much credit, Ryuji.” Akira replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Honestly, Akira? We don’t give you enough.” Ann countered back. “Ryuji’s right, you know… I don’t think any of us would be standing here right now laughing and hanging out together like this if we never met you. I know I don’t want to think about what would’ve happened to me if you weren’t there.”

“...And you saved me, you know.” Futaba interjected. “I know for a fact that I wouldn’t be sitting here right now if it wasn’t for you. I-I’d still be… you know… locked up in my room believing a total lie.”

“I would be subject to my own blindness of the truth if you and the others hadn’t stubbornly opened my eyes.” Yusuke added with ease. “And in our desperate hour of need, you did so once again by reminding us of who we are and what we’ve strove for as individuals.”

“I agree with everyone. I know for myself that you’ve been a constant source of support for us, Akira-kun.” Haru began, smiling gently as she looked towards Akira. “You’ve helped us through the best and worst of times in our lives, as a leader and a friend. You’ve laughed with us, ate with us, even suffered with us… and for us. Personally, I feel as though I could never repay you for everything that you’ve done.”

“...We’ve known that you’ve had your own cross to bear too.” Makoto spoke then. “You’ve had your own troubles with your probation and beyond… but you’ve never let that stop you from doing the right thing… and in turn, that side of you has helped every single one of us from our own troubles. For that reason alone and more… you’re so important to us.”

“Guys…” Akira trails off, averting his gaze from everyone before he closes his eyes. He was at a loss at the overflowing love that his friends were putting on him right now… and in front of his father, no less. Were they trying to make him cry? Even so… a smile crept upon his features as he raises his head up again to face them. “You all talk about me being important to you all… when every single one of you is important to me, too.”

“Aww, come on man.” Ryuji said.

“I’m serious. Last year I came to the city alone. I was depressed, bitter, scared and uncertain… I didn’t know what would happen to me while I was there. I just wanted the year to go by so that I could go back home. But meeting all of you… you all have opened my eyes in realizing what exactly I was capable of. Everyone that I’ve met in Tokyo and helped out, everything that I’ve learned and all that I’ve accomplished… all of that began with you guys. You all… made the city like home to me. Because of you guys, I finally felt like I wasn’t alone.”

“....” Everyone was stunned at Akira’s heartfelt confession.

“You all keep talking about how I saved you… and maybe that’s true in a way… But you all saved me. In more ways than one.” With being said, Akira closes an eye as his smile turns into a wry grin. “...So I’d call it even.”

“...And so our Leader has spoken.” Yusuke mused with a satisfied smile.

“I suppose that we can’t fight him on that if he feels that way.” Makoto said, laughing a little under her breath.

“Fine, fine… I guess we’ll call everything even then, Akira.” Ann sighed, smiling as she shook her head.

“....” Yoshiaki was silent as he listened to everyone talk about Akira, and he especially kept quiet when he listened to Akira speak. While Akira was speaking to his friends about how important they were to him, Yoshiaki observed his mannerisms and notices a few striking differences between the Akira he knew before that incident happened… and the Akira that was sitting here now. 

Akira now speaks with a clearness to his voice and a bold confidence to his movements, when Yoshiaki could clearly remember a boy who would simply stand over to the side in silence, not bothering a soul unless he was spoken to. His whole demeanor was more cheerful around these kids, looking completely comfortable in his own skin when before he was only really like that in front of his parents… No, perhaps… even back then, he didn’t have that level of ease with him or his mother like he did with his friends at this very moment. From what Yoshiaki can see, Akira now held an air of certainty around him that he didn’t have before. 

This… was Akira’s true self.

 _‘Akane… did you see this when you opened the door?’_ he thought as he smiles softly to himself. _‘We’ve spent all of our time being worried about how we’ve failed him and constantly wondering what could have been done… while Akira’s been growing up all on his own. I may not know what exactly happened in Tokyo, but… I have a feeling that we would have never seen this Akira if he had stayed here with us. Perhaps we will never truly know if that would’ve been the case or not, but what I do know is that from seeing him right now… I can tell that he’s grown up. Despite all of the odds stacked against him… our son has become a man.’_

“-- Dad?”

“...Hm?” Yoshiaki snaps out of his thoughts to see Akira calling him, and he quickly shakes his head to regain his focus.

“What are you thinking about?” Akira asked.

“Nothing too special. I was just letting you kids have your moment.” Yoshiaki assured.

“...I can definitely see where Akira gets it from.” Ann sighed, shaking her head.

“Heh, for real.” Ryuji agreed, laughing a little.

“...So, I’m guessing the focus is back on me? I’m afraid I don’t have much to follow up on after all of that… Let’s see now…” Yoshiaki idly strokes his chin in thought, mulling over what to say until an idea come to his mind. It was silly… but it should be a fun subject to last them until Akane came back with the food. “...Who wants to hear embarrassing childhood stories?” he asked, lighting up the mood. As if on cue, Akira’s face fell in his shock.

“Ooh!! Baby Akira! Lemme hear about Baby Akira!” Futaba requested excitedly. “Was he super fussy? Was he a picky eater? Does he have embarrassing baby pictures that he totally doesn’t want us to find?!”

“Ooh, I wanna see! I bet Akira was super cute!” Ann gushes sweetly.

“Oh, he was pretty adorable. Especially since he got that mop of hair from me… poor kid. He looked like a little black sheep with it. Sometimes it looked like it was going to swallow his little head whole until he had a growth spurt.” Yoshiaki mused fondly. “Now, let’s see where’s a good place I can start…”

It took all of Akira’s willpower not to groan out loud as he pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head in his embarrassment. _‘Ugh, take me back to Tokyo…’_


	3. I Can Believe That Now

With Yoshiaki breaking the ice as he did, both he and Akira were the participators of answering any questions that they had about Akira’s life in his hometown. After all, Akira didn’t mention much about his life here… which was understandable considering how he ended up in Tokyo in the first place. So when his father offered the chance to share more lighthearted stories about their dear friend and former leader, everyone jumped at the opportunity to hear details, much to Akira’s chagrin. Eventually, everyone was talking and laughing amongst themselves as they switch from subject to subject without missing so much as a beat. By the time Akane returned with the ingredients in tow, the whole house was alive with chatter.

“I’m back.” Akane called, pushing the door closed with her feet. She sets down the groceries for the moment so that she could take off her shoes and leave them at the door.

“Ah, welcome back. You weren’t kidding when you said it wouldn’t take long.” Yoshiaki greeted.

“Of course! It sure sounds lively in there, though.” Akane mused as she picks up the groceries once more. She walks down the hall in order to head to the kitchen and put down her groceries. Once she does so, Akane took a moment to peek her head in the living room to see what was happening. Seeing that everyone was crowding all around the sofa where Yoshiaki was sitting, Akane forms a wry grin as she glances over at her husband. “Are you alright in there, Yoshi? The kids didn’t wear you out already, did they?”

“No, they didn’t wear me out… give me a little more credit! We’re all getting along just fine.” Yoshiaki assured, feigning a sigh as he shook his head. Akira chuckled under his breath as he shook his head himself. Some things never change, he supposed.

“Mom? Do you need any help in there?” Akira then asked.

“No, I’ll be fine. You stay with your friends, Akira. This is supposed to be your night anyway.” Akane assures him of this even as she marches back into the kitchen. “Now, give me a few moments and I’ll fix up something real nice for you kids.” she promised, before she gets to work on expanding her dinner. That left everyone else to chat amongst themselves once more.

“How well can your mother cook, Akira-kun?” Makoto asks in her curiosity.

“She’s a pretty good cook.” Akira answered, nodding. “Mom usually handles dinner out of the three of us, at least until I got a little older. When I had more of an idea about what to do in the kitchen, I’d try to help her out a little bit in my own way. Eventually we were getting into who gets to cook certain nights as time went on. But really… the kitchen floor is hers.”

“She’s definitely improved over the years, that’s for sure.” Yoshiaki mused, chuckling a little in fondness as he looks towards the kitchen. “You should’ve seen her back when the two of us were younger. Those were some rough nights back then… I remember that I had to take over several times in the kitchen to avoid getting our food burnt to a crisp, getting overcooked… even getting _undercooked_ on a few occasions… Takeout was often an unavoidable result with us in the early days… at least until we had Akira.”

“Yoshi… You know I can hear you over there…” Akane’s voice ominously rings beyond the kitchen as if it was a sort of warning. Yoshiaki felt a cold sweat run down his neck before he rubs the back of it with his hand, shaking his head once more.

“C-Come on, don’t get sensitive… I said that you’ve improved from back then, didn’t I?” he sighed. “Despite all that’s happened with my wife’s cooking back then, you kids are in for a treat right now. It’s all about trial and error, right?”

“Damn straight.” Akane says with pride, before she goes silent in the kitchen again. Akane’s response then earned a few laughs from the gang, greatly amused by their candid banter.

“It’s nice to see that Akira-kun’s parents get along so well.” Haru mused, giggling a little.

“I know! I’m actually a little jealous, to tell the truth. They feel really close.” Ann voiced.

“Seeing such warmth from a family unit… I hadn’t expected that.” Yusuke said, humming to himself lowly in thought. “But to know that Akira is fortunate enough to come from a home like this… I’m glad to see it for myself.”

“Well, what did you expect from us?” Yoshiaki asked.

“To be honest, we had no idea what to expect from you or your wife.” Makoto spoke up, idly rubbing at her forearm as her expression changes. “We’ve never pressed Akira-kun much about his life before he came to the city. And considering how he got there in the first place… it’s easy to assume that it would be a sensitive subject for him to speak freely about. So we never really asked about it that much.”

“Hell, considering that we’ve met our fair share of shitty adults and got treated like crap because of ‘em, it’d prolly be easy to think that you guys would be shitty too.” Ryuji spoke bluntly. Despite his blunt words however, he grins with a relieved look on his face. “But seeing as you and Akira’s mom are pretty cool people, we don’t gotta worry about him as much when we leave him home!”

Yoshiaki blinked a few times, being a little bit caught off guard as he allowed those confessions to sink in. Eventually, he quietly heaves a sad sigh before forming a sad smile. “Well, at the very least… I’m glad that you kids think positively about both me and Akane.” he said, amidst his initial relief. “But oddly enough… somehow I’m not surprised that you or anyone else would think that way about us.”

“...You’re not?” Ann questioned.

“We’re not blind to the implications… We’ve always known how it would look, ever since that sentence was ordered in court.” Yoshiaki’s sad smile faded into something that was more stern… frowning lightly as he recalled the events that happened one year ago. “Sending a sixteen year old boy to live in the big city all alone for one year… You’d might think to yourself: _‘What kind of people could his parents be, to send their child away like that?’_ Or you might even think: _‘How bad can this kid be if his parents didn’t even want him around?’_ I wouldn’t be surprised if those thoughts have crossed people’s minds if they learned about that ridiculous charge they slapped my son with… But the truth was buried within a web of lies and coverups… and Akane and I were powerless against it.”

“....” The room fell silent after Yoshiaki spoke. Akira in particular was bowing his head down and was averting his eyes from the group, keeping quiet. Yoshiaki heaves a heavy sigh, folding his arms as his narrowed eyes showed a quick glimpse of the raw emotion he feels whenever he remembers the time of Akira’s arrest. He pauses for a moment, resigning himself to telling their story to its completion before continuing on. Once Yoshiaki felt like he was calm enough… he began to speak.

“We believed that Akira was innocent.” Yoshiaki began. “We knew very well that he wouldn’t do anything like assault someone… but all that we had to prove that fact were our words and his. We had no concrete evidence on what happened that night… we weren’t there. And even with Akira’s account on what happened that night, it did very little to stack against testimonies from a direct witness, or so-called eyewitness accounts from third parties... It was overall an impressive show of a cruel injustice. We had no chance against it.”

“That’s… That’s horrible…” Haru lamented, clasping her hands together against her chest.

“...Even though it’s all over, just hearing about it all over again just pisses me off.” Ryuji growled under his breath. “Goddamn that Shido…”

“The only thing that we as his parents had an inkling of influence on… is choosing where Akira would go to serve his probation. Of course, we wanted him to stay here with us… but in a town like this? Word and gossip spreads like wildfire once you get the people going, and before you know it, you’re a pariah in the neighborhood. Akane would’ve fought the whole town in Akira’s name if she could… she’s fiercely defensive when it comes to him. She constantly stood her ground and reinforced her belief about Akira’s innocence to anyone that would hear her. But in the town’s eyes, Akane’s passionate defense was labeled and dismissed as the ravings of a delusional mother that couldn’t accept that her child was a bad seed. That added to her already brisk nature and her growing frustration brought her on many people’s bad side.” 

“....” Akane, who could hear everything that Yoshiaki was saying from the kitchen, clenches at the hilt of the kitchen knife she was holding as she thought about what happened to herself. She eventually sighs quietly to herself and loosens her grip, keeping quiet as she continued to prepare her dinner.

“And me…? I couldn’t do a damn thing… Not about the sentence… Not about stopping Akira’s high school from expelling him… Not about the scrutiny that followed our family since that court hearing… I was completely useless while my family was being pulled apart. Akane and I were constantly beating ourselves up over how useless we really were, and we even argued with each other about what the other could’ve done better… which was foolish. And to make matters worse, the both of us knew damn well that our combined pain couldn’t even compare to what Akira must have been feeling. He… He was just a kid.”

“....” Makoto and Yusuke both bowed their heads down as they frowned, just imagining the sting and aftermath of Akira’s arrest from another perspective to themselves.

“In the end… we decided that sending him away was his best chance at a fresh start. At least in a place where no one knew him… he would have less of a chance of having a stigma hang over his head than if he would have stayed with us. Or… so we thought at the time. We’ve had to work out where he would go to school, where he would stay… School in particular was a fight to get through. Despite his grades… no one would even consider him because of his criminal record. Shujin Academy eventually accepting him was… a small stroke of luck. They were the only school in Tokyo that would take him in.”

“....” Ryuji and Ann took a moment to glance at each other before their eyes fell over to Akira, knowing very well what happened at the time when Akira transferred to Shujin.

“All that he needed then was a guardian to watch over him for a year, and that felt like even more of a fight than getting him into a school. We didn’t know anyone in Tokyo personally that we trusted to take Akira in… not that anyone was willing to give him a chance anyway. The only thing that we _did_ know was that one of our old friends from back in the day often commutes to Tokyo, so we asked her if she knew anyone that would be willing to take him in. Before she had to leave the country on business… she recommended someone to us, and made sure to pass the word onto him before she left. Imagine our surprise that her recommendation was the owner of a cafe shop she often stopped at when she was in town!”

“That was Sojiro…” Futaba trailed off, her voice quiet. Morgana says nothing at all as he sits on Akira’s lap. He only keeps his focus upon Yoshiaki as he continued on with his story about what happened.

“Surprised as we were, we were relieved to learn that he was willing to take him in for a year. So we made the arrangements with the court for Akira to stay with Sakura-san. I know that I want to give him my personal thanks for taking care of him.” Yoshiaki flashed a weak smile as the thought crossed his mind, but then he slowly rests his chin against his propped up hands as he sighs. “That event was by far the hardest thing that our family had to experience… and sending Akira away was the hardest thing that Akane and I had to do. As his father… I hated that I was completely useless in defending him. I couldn’t clear his name… I couldn’t clear his record… all that I could do was send him away to serve a sentence that he didn’t deserve.”

“Dad…” Akira finally spoke, but his voice was quiet as he looks over at his father sadly. He felt like he couldn’t find the words to say here.

“...But despite the blame I may put on myself, and despite how I can imagine what people would think of me and my family… I know that I can breathe easy now.” Yoshiaki’s face lightens a bit from the stern expression that was there before, and he slowly smiles as he looked at everyone in the living room one by one. “From seeing you all here right now, and hearing you all talk to each other and act around each other… I can tell that Akira was in good hands with you all. You kids… gave him the chance that others couldn’t bother to give. For that reason alone… I can relax. And I thank you all for that.”

Everyone was at a loss for words. Every time that Akira himself would tell the story about that night, everyone that would hear it would be rendered speechless. Who wouldn’t be, after hearing the clear injustice of it all? But actually hearing about what happened from his father brought about another perspective about that night to everyone. If it already wasn’t clear when Akira told the tale, it was very clear from hearing Yoshiaki that the entire Kurusu family was screwed over by the actions of Masayoshi Shido. And even though it was all over with Shido now behind bars and Akira being back home… the effects of that night were still there. For Yoshiaki, Akane, and Akira… it was still hard to talk about. And for everyone else… it was still very hard to hear.

“...Once again, it seems that all of us here have been at the mercy of adults who would selfishly pursue their desires to the detriment of others.” Yusuke spoke lowly. “Hearing about Akira’s incident from your perspective only reminds me of the impact that a man like Shido had… Someone so arrogant in their pride that he cared not about who he trampled on, so long as his own goals alone were met. Be it complete strangers… or even family.”

“....” The Phantom Thieves fell silent again and bowed their heads down, knowing very well who Yusuke was referring to at that moment.

“Masayoshi Shido… I thanked the heavens when his name was finally revealed to us.”

Everyone turned their heads towards Akane’s direction once they heard her voice. She had entered the living room around the time when Yoshiaki was about to be finished speaking, staying quiet as he said his peace. But at the mere mention of Shido, Akane frowns to herself as her expression darkens, clenching the ladle that she had in her hand tight. “There was no one that I wanted to know the name of more… so that I could find the asshole myself and rip his goddamn balls off for ruining my son’s life.” she seethed lowly.

“Whoa…” Ann trailed off, her eyes growing wide in her shock.

“I-I… Goodness…” Makoto gasped to herself, holding a hand to her mouth.

“H-Holy shit…” Ryuji gawked, feeling a chill run down his spine once she said that. He hastily closes his legs and hugs them to his chest, before he then leans over to Akira. “Dude… I am so not pissing your mom off.” he whispered. “That was scary as _shit._ ”

Despite the reactions of his friends over his mother’s outburst, Akira remained perfectly calm. _‘Already beat you to it, Mom.’_ he thought to himself. If only she knew how deep the hell hole involving Masayoshi Shido really went… perhaps it was a blessing in itself that she won’t know _everything_ that happened where Shido was concerned.

“But… I suppose that’s just my initial anger from the past year talking.” Akane says with a deep sigh. Her arms loosen a little from the slight intensity she displayed not too long ago, but there was still an exhausted look to her face as she closed her eyes briefly. “There is a lot that I wish that I could’ve done better for Akira… I still think that, even now. But knowing that man is going to rot in a jail cell for the rest of his miserable life will have to be enough for my peace of mind. After all… I know I can’t hold on to that anger and frustration forever. Especially since my son is back home.”

“Mom…” Akira trailed off once more, unable to find the words to say. Now that he was around his parents again and was listening to how they really felt during that time… it really brought things into perspective for him. 

When you’re the person who was taking the brunt of the blame when you know for a fact that you didn’t even do anything… it was easy to be angry. It was easy to be bitter. Easy to feel like you were alone, easy to feel like you weren’t being heard… and it was painfully easy to suddenly feel like you were being a burden to those around you, even when you know that you shouldn’t be. It was easy for Akira to be absorbed into his own sadness and bitterness of how unjust his situation was and how unfair his life became in such a short amount of time. He had every right to feel the way he did, especially since he was innocent… Even when he was the one that suffered the most, that didn’t necessarily mean that he was the only one suffering.

He looks up to his mother, still seeing the fading bags of exhaustion that rested under her eyes. He remembers his father’s solemn expression when he told the story about the incident to his friends. He briefly wonders how they’ve spent the last year with him gone… being so angry and guilt-ridden at their own frustrations. They were suffering too… and Akira didn’t truly know how much until he heard them speak.

Finally finding the words to say, he stands up from his spot.

“Mom, Dad… it’s okay.” he assures them.

“...I know, dear.” Akane replies, taking a breath as she tries to smile. It is a bit forced… but she was trying not to let anyone worry or bring the mood down from the seriousness that lingered in the room. And she was aware that she didn’t help the mood with her last comment. “...Look at me still griping when this is supposed to be a happy time. Don’t mind me… I really am happy to know that it’s all over. We can finally move on from… that.”

“Akane…” Yoshiaki trailed off, frowning a little at the look on his wife’s face. He can easily see that her smile was forced. She was trying to pull up a strong front for the sake of the kids… but it wasn’t working.

Akira forms a small smile as he looks at his mother then. “It’s okay, Mom.” he repeats.

“I know.” Akane replies again, nodding. “You’re back home where you should be... You have friends that came all this way just for you... You’ve even grown up while you were away… Your father and I recognize that well. Even though we weren’t of any help to you at all… everything… ended up okay in the end. For that, I’m --”

Akane was cut off by Akira walking up to her and pulling her into a gentle hug. Akira’s smile was gentle as he rests his cheek on top of her head. He knew that everything ended up positive for them in the end… but that wasn’t the only thing that he was assuring her of. She didn’t need to beat herself up for what happened that night anymore. Both she and her father didn’t need to blame themselves for not being able to help him... or for not being there for the past year. Akira doesn’t begrudge them for any of that… and they didn’t need to do it to themselves either. 

“It’s okay.” he whispers. It was at his final assurance that his mother calmed down and finally hugged him back.

“...I’m sorry, Akira.” Akane voiced softly, her tone shaky as her emotions threatened to make her cry again. Her quiet apology held a double meaning… one, for getting so emotional… and two, and most importantly to her, for everything else that happened. Luckily, Akira understood.

“Don’t worry about it anymore, Mom.” he assures her, parting from her slightly so that he could smile at her. “It’s okay.”

“....” Akane swipes her thumb over the corner of her eye to catch any stray tears that would escape, and her previously forced smile turns more genuine as she looks up at her son. “...Yes, of course. I can believe that now.” she said.

“I can too.” Yoshiaki added, standing up from his spot on the couch so that he could join his family. He comfortingly rubs his hand against Akane’s back before smiling over at her. “...I think your acting skills are getting a little rusty, honey.” he said lightheartedly. To that, Akane scoffed.

“Bite your tongue. This is just an emotional day, that’s all!” she refuted. Yoshiaki and Akira both laughed at her response, relieved that she was coming back to her usual self. Akane brushed aside her loose strands of hair before she remembers the reason why she came to the living room in the first place, she turns her attention towards everyone else in the room.

“That’s right…! I originally came out of the kitchen to ask… is udon alright with you all? It’s what I can make in grand amounts on such short notice.” she asks.

“That will be fine. Thank you.” Yusuke replies. He may have his own preferences, but he would be remiss in taking advantage of Akane’s hospitality when she didn’t have to take the others into account at all.

“Alright, then I’ll get back to it!” Akane declares. Clasping her hands together against the ladle she was still holding, she turns towards the direction of the kitchen. “Yoshi, give me an extra pair of hands, won’t you? We _are_ feeding six extra kids.” she asks.

“I’m right behind you, Akane.” Yoshiaki assures her, walking off towards the kitchen with her. As the two of them disappear into the kitchen to prepare dinner, Akira and everyone else were left in the living room. Though the room was silent, everyone smiled to themselves as they look towards their friend and former leader.

“You have a wonderful family, Akira-kun.” Haru compliments, breaking the silence.

As he was looking towards the direction of the kitchen, Akira smiled at Haru’s words. “Yeah… Yeah, I do.” he said.


	4. They Really Are Good Kids

“Whoa!”

If everyone’s jaw could drop to the floor at the sight of the spread Akane and Yoshiaki made in the kitchen, then it would. There were nine trays spread all across the counters, filled with a full course meal that Akane was able to expand to accomodate for the others. Her main course was a stew, which was the source of the wafting smell that lingered around the kitchen when Akira and his friends entered the house. Filled to the brim were vegetables and meat cooked into a delicious looking combination within the broth, and decorated around the plates were sides of udon, fish and rice.

“Oh my god…! This looks so good…” Ann sighs dreamily.

“Everything looks so delicious…! To think that this extension was made in a short amount of time…” Haru gasps in awe.

“Dude… Oh man… when do we eat?” Ryuji asks, unable to contain the excitement on his face.

As she places the top upon the cooking pot, Akane turns her head towards the hungry group of teenagers and smiles. “I hope you all aren’t planning to stand there gawking all night.” she says lightly with a laugh. “Go ahead, grab a plate. There’s enough for everybody.”

“Sweet! Good food, here we come!” Grinning with glee as he quickly approaches the counter, Ryuji took a tray for himself and quickly dashed back to the living room in his eagerness. “Thanks for the food!” he yells out from the halls, almost hurriedly as if he almost forgot about saying it due to his hunger. 

“Ryuji! Geez, don’t you spill anything over there!” Ann chided, picking up her own tray from the counter. “I’m so sorry… and, um… Thank you for the food!”

“Thank you very much for this.” Makoto thanked Akane with a polite bow of her head. The minute she said her thanks, she feels something brush against her sides with haste. Looking over at what -- or in this case who -- it was, Makoto sees Futaba peering closely at the remaining trays with a serious look to her eye. It made her sweat a little.

“Futaba… is something wrong with the food?” she asks cautiously.

“Ssh… analyzing.” Futaba shushed her, completely into whatever she was doing. “I gotta run quick specs before I choose… having so many good choices to pick one is cheating! My hunger depends on the right choice!” She quickly skids around the kitchen counter as she tries to analyze which is the best tray to choose from, looking like a quick orange blur in the process. Eventually she stops, stomping her foot as she huffs to herself. “Argh! I hunger! Can’t afford to just pick one! I’ll take this one --”

“Thank you very much for this dinner.” Yusuke thanked, picking up the tray that, unbeknownst to him, Futaba was going to choose for herself. “Hm. Even the aesthetic of the food seem to be complementary to each other. I must say… I’m looking forward to this.”

“Wha -- ?! Hey! No fair, Inari! That plate was mine, you dirty thief!” Futaba exclaimed, reaching up to grab the tray from Yusuke’s hands. Unfortunately for her, Yusuke’s height was a fearsome opponent, so Futaba just ends up just grabbing air.

“Yours?” Yusuke looks over to see Futaba angrily flailing her arms as she tries to grab his tray, and promptly moves it away from her grabbing hands. “No one else claimed this plate, so I chose it for myself. There are many other plates to choose from, so why not spare your energy?”

“Oh, come on! That was the one tray that I chose after careful consideration and you just -- !! Oof.” Abruptly, Futaba puts her hands on her stomach to feel it growling. She sighs in defeat as she ends her little tirade. “I hunger too much to fight back… You win this time… Need fuel…” With a inaudible grumble, Futaba picks out a random tray to take for herself before she sulks out of the kitchen to join the others. Needless to say, everyone else who was left in the kitchen felt the sweat against their heads.

“...You’re a colorful bunch, I’ll give you all that.” Yoshiaki sighed.

“It helps that you keep things lively, that’s for sure.” Akane added.

“That’s everybody for you. It’s… always like this.” Makoto sighs in exasperation. She bows her head again before she and Yusuke move to leave the kitchen and join the others with their plates.

“Then I guess that leaves me with this one then.” Haru said, picking up one of the remaining trays that was still on the counter. “I can’t thank you both enough for your kindness. Well then… thank you for the food!” As she bows her head politely, Haru left the kitchen with her plate in tow. That left just the Kurusu family in the kitchen with the remaining three trays still on the counter. Yoshiaki notices the amused look on Akira’s face and laughs a little to himself.

“You don’t look fazed by all of that.” he said.

Akira then smiled as a response. “I’m used to it.” he said, picking up a tray for himself.

“It shows.” Akane mused, before gesturing her head over to the bowl that was farther away from where the plates were before. “Before I forget... I got our new friend something. Call it a welcoming gift. Remember to feed it to him, won’t you?”

“I will.” Akira promised, walking over to take the bowl full of cat food in his other hand. Although despite the provided meal, he knew that Morgana was also going to want the fish that was on his plate. It was no sushi… but it’ll do.

Akira then makes his way back to the living room, where all of his friends sat all around the lone table in the room comfortably eating their food. And judging by the looks on their faces… it seems like his mother’s cooking was a hit among the Phantom Thieves. From the pleased look of satisfaction upon Yusuke and Makoto’s faces, to the delighted glee that was present in both Ann and Haru’s expressions, everyone seemed to be enjoying dinner. 

“Mmm ~ ! Soooooo good!” Ann sighed dreamily, holding a hand to her cheek in her enjoyment.

“Mm… I’ve got to agree. This is really delicious.” Makoto agreed with a pleased hum, dabbing the corners of her lips with a napkin she picked up.

There was a little bit of pride growing in Akira’s expression as he smiled, seeing all of these pleased faces. But the thing that _really_ told Akira that dinner was a hit was seeing his best friend eating and talking at the same time with a grin on his face.

“Mmf…! Akira, dude! Thish ism aweshomemf!” Ryuji praised with his mouth full, waving at Akira as he noticed him enter the room. “Mm, man… ish like a warm blanket oft meat melting in my mouf…” he hummed dreamily.

“Ugh… do you have to say all of that with your mouth full? You better not get your spit all over my fur!” Morgana chided, intentionally moving away from being beside Ryuji at that moment. Once he felt like he was safe from Ryuji’s chatter with flying food, he then switches his focus to Akira, noticing the bowl in his hand. “Moreover, did the lady of the house get some food for me? I wouldn’t mind a bit of sushi on my plate as a housewarming gift…” he not so subtly hinted.

Akira shook his head. “Sorry, no sushi. You really think that my mom would know something like that? You just met her.” he said, bending down to put the bowl full of cat food in front of Morgana. “But she did get some food for you though, and a new bowl.”

“Hm… I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised. But considering that this is all short notice from your mother’s perspective, I shouldn’t be as pushy either. It’s ungentlemanly to test the kind generosity of a lady.” Morgana conceded, scratching his ear with his front paw. He leans forward to inspect the food put on his new bowl, pausing for a moment before he began to eat as well.

“Don’t sound too defeated over it.” Akira sighed. Despite the considering words that he had about his mom, Akira definitely noticed the front that Morgana was putting up to mask his disappointment. Bringing his own plate to him, he picks up one of the small fish that was besides his main plate and places it upon the top of Morgana’s pile of cat food. “Here. That’s the only freebie I’m giving you. We’ll work out the food and try what works for the next few weeks, okay?”

Morgana looks up and notices the small fish upon his pile, and his blue eyes carried a excited glint within them as he saw it. “It’s a deal.” he purred in delight, before chomping down the fish and cat food with more enthusiasm than before.

“Mm… this really is delicious, Akira-kun. Your mother really is a good cook, just like you mentioned!” Haru was the next to voice her praise, and coincidentally her plate was hallway full already as she gently places it back down for a moment. “I don’t get to enjoy homecooked meals very often, so I’m really happy that I got to eat one, especially since this was on short notice. You probably can’t even tell that was the case.”

“Glad you enjoyed it so much, Haru.” Akira replied, forming a warm smile. “You should probably tell her that when you get the chance.”

“Oh, I definitely intend to! I plan to give her my sincere compliments for the food.” Haru promised, nodding gratefully. “And it seems like everyone’s enjoying it as much as I am -- eh? Um, Futaba-chan? Maybe you should slow down a bit…”

Futaba, despite not saying anything, was making loud noises as she wolfed down the food on her plate with gusto. With how fast she was eating and swallowing her food, it might look like she was rushing to finish. But she wasn’t. Eventually, Futaba’s fast eating makes her cough harshly, and she beats at her chest to try and clear her throat. Needlessly to say, it grabbed everyone’s attention in worry.

“F-Futaba-chan!?” Haru gasps worriedly.

“Whoa, easy there!” Ann says in her worry, immediately getting up from her spot to rush to Futaba’s side. Futaba coughs for a few more moments before she breathes more easily, bringing relief to everyone in the room, especially to the rest of the girls.

“A-Agh… Whew… That was a mouthful…” Futaba gasped, taking a final breath.

“Don’t try and eat so fast! You could’ve easily choked…” Makoto said, voicing her concern as she looks at her worriedly. “Are you alright? Do you need water?”

“Nope! Need seconds.” Futaba answered, immediately getting up from her spot and picking up her tray full of her empty dishes. As she was about to approach the hallway to come out of the living room, she runs into Akane, who was coming in to check on the living room.

“Is everything alright in here?” she asked. “I heard a lot of commotion from the kitchen.”

“We’re fine. There’s no need to worry yourself.” Yusuke assured, finally breaking his silence as he was quietly enjoying his meal. “This is simply another part of our everyday.”

Akane heaves a small sigh, shaking her head as she gives a wry smile. “So long as you’re sure.” she said.

\-----

Throughout the night, the house comes alive with chatter as the gang enthusiastically interacts with Akira’s parents and themselves once again. The atmosphere was easy as they bounce from subject to subject over dinner, and eventually everyone took the time to explore the house in their own curiosity. Makoto and Haru were the ones that primarily stayed in place, with Morgana sitting comfortably on Haru’s lap as she gently strokes his far. The two of them were mostly conversing with Yoshiaki about various subjects that they were surprised that he was privy to, particularly about his love of reading.

“How interesting… those are a wide variety of books that you’ve pointed out.” Makoto voiced at one point.

“Do you have a particular favorite genre?” Haru then asked.

“Comedy, usually.” Yoshiaki answered.

“Really? You don’t strike me as that type.” Makoto said, surprised.

“I like stuff that makes me laugh.” Yoshiaki then replied with ease. “I’ll admit that I’m more drawn to more lighthearted subjects than most, but mostly I just pick up whatever catches my eye at the time. It makes a great use of downtime from the office, which in comparison isn’t nearly that exciting or humorous. But if something draws me in… I can hardly put it down.”

“I can relate to that feeling well.” Haru said with a small laugh.

In the meanwhile, Ryuji, Ann, Futaba and Yusuke took to exploring the house in their curiosity with Akira and Akane guiding the way. Yusuke in particular was especially curious about a few masks that he can see was sitting on a nearby counter from where he was. Not one to shrink away from a possible source of inspiration, he walks over to the room that he saw them in and picks one of the masks up, examining them with intrigue.

“This mask seems to be… is this a kabuki-inspired style?” he asked.

“Quite the eye you got there.” Akane confirmed, nodding. It seems that Yusuke found his way towards the storage room where she kept all of her treasured theater props. “Are you into theater, Yusuke-kun?”

“No, my passion lies more in the visual arts rather than performance arts. I was drawn to the craftsmanship and the paintwork of this mask initially. But I’ll admit that I felt a little sense of… familiarity when I recognized the style.” Yusuke forms a knowing smile then, feeling a strange sense of nostalgia welling up from within him.

“D-Do, uh… Do you have a fox mask?” Futaba asked Akane curiously.

“Hm, I think so… I’m sure that I do somewhere. I might have to really look somewhere in the room for it, though... There are a lot of masks in there.” Akane answered, humming to herself in thought. “I’ve kept so many over the years that it’s sometimes hard to keep track of it all.”

“Hehe! There you go, Inari!” she chimed, looking up at Yusuke with a mischievous grin.

“Hah! I see what you did there!” Ryuji laughed. 

Yusuke in the meanwhile, looks at the both of them with a unamused look to his eye. “Amusing. I suppose that you’ll both want to ask if there are goggles or a skull mask in the vicinity as well.” he said flatly. Whatever nostalgia that he was feeling had just dissipated right at that moment.

Ann took the moment to peek her head into the room and looked around further. From inside she could not only see different varieties of masks stored in the room, but props, costumes, sewing kits and storage bins all around. “Whoa…! Look at all of this!” she exclaims, partly pulling out a cape from the clothing rack so that she could take a closer look. “You could really dress up and make your own costume with how much stuff is in here!”

“All part of the job. Well, the sewing materials anyway. Most of that stuff in there is memorabilia from a long time ago.” Akane mentioned, smiling mostly to herself. “The life of a theater kid doesn’t completely leave you even if you’ve haven’t been in that world in a while, though maybe I just still have a bit more love for all of these things than most.”

“That’s so cool! I mean, there’s so many different kinds of masks and stuff in here! It’s a wonder that you’ve kept all of this for so long. I bet we could really have a blast just by dressing up and playing out everything.” Ann said, smiling brightly to herself.

“It’ll prolly do wonders for you to do that, Ann. Sounds like something you’d do.” Ryuji commented. “And I bet those flashy costumes in there would distract people long enough from your bad acting.”

“Ugh, shut up!” Ann snapped. Huffing to herself, Ann turned away and continued to look at and dig through the different masks that were the closest to her. Once something else has caught her attention, Ann carefully pulls it out from the storage so that she could see it better.

“Ooh, I know what this is! Isn’t this a Featherman mask?” she asked.

“What!?” The mere mention of Featherman was enough to make Futaba perk up in excitement and rushes into the room to join Ann. Once she sees the red mask that Ann has in her hands, she gasps. “Oh my god, that’s Red’s mask! It’s totally the Phoenix Ranger R version of Feather Hawk’s mask! Totally retro. I mean, besides the fact that the R series itself is old at this point, the mask itself looks pretty old and worn. But even then I can totally tell which version this mask came from!”

“I’m not surprised that you’d say that, because it _is_ old.” Akane said, amused. “That mask was Akira’s.”

“Wait, what?!” Futaba then shrieked, her eyes growing wide with shock. In a quick burst of energy, Futaba immediately turned around and marched towards a sweating Akira, huffing as her feet stomped into a definitive halt. “Akira, you traitor! You were a fan of Featherman and you never even told me!? After all the merch and key items that we had to pass through in our adventures to survive in the big crowded city!? I can’t believe this betrayal!” she exclaimed.

“W-Whoa… Calm down, Futaba. Easy.” Akira reasoned, putting his hands up in his defense. Futaba’s outburst caught the attention of Makoto, Haru and Yoshiaki as well, who immediately looked over at the closet where everyone else gathered in. Though seeing the red mask did makes him smile a little in fondness. “That mask really does bring me back… I was a huge fan of Featherman back when I was a kid. When I got really into it, I’d wear that mask every time an new episode came on.”

“For real? Man… you should’ve said something like that sooner! I would’ve totally streamed some episodes in the attic and watched some with you!” Futaba sighs in her disappointment as she looks down, dejected. “Total missed opportunity…” 

“Sorry, Futaba.” Akira apologized, but the fond smile never left his face. He gently places his hand on top of Futaba’s head, making her look back up at him in surprise. “Tell you what… we’ll make that a plan the next time I come visit. Maybe we’ll take an afternoon to watch some episodes together. Deal?”

“Hehe… it’s a deal.” Futaba agreed, nodding as a smile returned to her face. “I’m gonna make a list of things for us to do the next time you visit. And when you come, we’re gonna check them all, one by one. Our Featherman marathon is going to be on that checklist for sure! Don’t you dare forget about it! This is a promise!”

Already things seem to be looking lively upon his next visit to Tokyo. Akira couldn’t help but chuckle a little to himself at the thought. “Don’t worry. I promise.” he assured. 

\-----

“Heh… Look at them, Yoshi.”

“They finally wore themselves out, huh?”

Yoshiaki and Akane were peeking over at the living room to see everyone else sprawled over the floor and furniture fast asleep. When it was getting late in the evening, everyone was noticeably too tired to even get up from the living room to go to sleep. With how attuned some of these kids were with manners or responsibility, both Yoshiaki and Akane were surprised that they weren’t asked where they could sleep for the night.

“I thought Akira would’ve been happy to sleep in his own bed after so long.” Akane mused, smiling a little at the sight before her.

“Maybe he’ll feel that way tomorrow night.” Yoshiaki pointed out, smiling himself as he wraps an arm around his wife. “But from where I’m standing… I’d say that he’s happy where he is.”

Sitting at the center of the group of sleeping kids was Akira, with his head leaning back against the seat of the couch as he slept. Ryuji, Ann, Makoto and Haru were laying beside him on the floor, their heads lazily sleeping against each other as they slept. Morgana was sleeping soundly on Akira’s lap, looking like a black ball of fur. Futaba was sleeping on the couch proper, but her body was curled in a way so that she was accommodating for Akira’s head. Yusuke was soundly sleeping on the floor with a pillow on his head, but even his body was turned more towards Akira’s direction. Though mostly everyone looked like they were just sleeping on top of each other without a care, Akira was the clear focus of attention with how everyone else seemed to curve their bodies towards him. To Yoshiaki and Akane… it really showed how close all of these kids were to Akira.

“It’s going to be quiet around here without those kids around.” Yoshiaki mentioned. “I don’t think I remember a time where our house was that loud with laughter… not even with the three of us.”

“But isn’t that a good thing, though? And Akira looked so happy being around them.” Akane said, casually leaning her head against Yoshiaki’s shoulder. “Do you remember him being that happy around other kids growing up?”

“No.” Yoshiaki answered, shaking his head. “Nothing like how it was tonight. From what I’ve seen from watching them all night… Akira clearly has something with these kids than he didn’t have with the others here. Everyone sleeping in that room over there… they have a bond.”

Akane nodded in agreement. “Those kids came all the way from Tokyo just to bring him home... There’s far few people in the world who would go the distance for anybody, much less a friend. But Akira… he’s found it. He’s found true friends in this world… despite the circumstances that brought him to Tokyo in the first place.”

“Akira and his friends… they gave each other what other people couldn’t even bother to give them… A chance.” Yoshiaki said, but then he remembered something else that happened tonight. “Akane, do you know what Akira said while you were gone?”

“What did he say?”

“He and his friends had a real heart to heart when you left. They were all talking about how much he meant to all of them, and how he saved them. But Akira said in return… that they saved him. With them, he finally felt like he wasn’t alone.”

Akane’s smile widens a bit in her fondness. “I believe it.” she said.

“I do too.” Yoshiaki agreed. “It’s funny… I remember a boy with a good head on his shoulders. He was quiet all of the time and would hardly bother anyone. Sure he’s had friends before, but… he was never as close to them as he is with these kids. Somehow he always tends to just do things by himself or to keep things close to his chest… whether it ends in his benefit or his detriment.”

“...I’ve always thought that he got that partly from watching the both of us.” Akane reflected sadly. “Maybe it was so that we wouldn’t worry about him as much while we were on each other with our own short-sighted problems…”

“...Maybe. I don’t deny our faults… though it seems like all that we’ve been doing this past year is dwelling upon them.” Yoshiaki said, sighing a little. “But despite that and everything else that was thrown at him… to think that boy would grow into this… confident, clear-eyed man… I feel a father’s pride, seeing this of him. I don’t know what happened in Tokyo while he was there, but I see a positive change. He’s become a lot brighter now.”

“...Please say that meaningful statement wasn’t just set up to make a bad pun on his name.” Akane said flatly.

“Hm? Of course not… not entirely.” Yoshiaki’s smile turns a little sheepish then.

“Yoshi…”

“I’m serious. That one was purely accidental.”

“...You sure about that?”

“I am.”

“....”

The two of them stood there in silence as they let the awkwardness pass them by. Eventually, Akane stretches her arm over so that she could turn off the lights to the living room, leaving the sleeping group of teenagers in the dark undisturbed. Yoshiaki and Akane then left the doorway and headed upstairs together to retire for the night. They knew that those kids were going to be leaving in the morning, so they chose to leave them alone.

“...They really are good kids, aren’t they?” Akane mused as they walked.

“They really are.” Yoshiaki agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! Little tidbit on this one!
> 
> So about that little pun Yoshiaki made at the end... the name Akira can mean "bright" when it's written like this (明), so when Yoshiaki said that Akira's become brighter, it was a meaningful statement, while at the same time being a really bad pun. Which is why Akane is cringing.
> 
> If you want double the facepalm on bad name puns, the name Akira can also mean "clear" when it's written like this (亮), and Yoshiaki described Akira as being more "clear-eyed". Either way, he's making bad puns on Akira's name within meaningful statements, and his wife is cringing in both scenarios. lol.


	5. See You All Later

Out of everybody that was in the living room, Akira was the last one to wake up.

His body stirs a little before he slowly opens his eyes, blinking a few times as he allows his vision to clear up. He lifts his head up from the couch cushion and quietly groans to himself as he rolls his neck around to get rid of any kinks that he might’ve gained from sleeping on the floor all night. Akira looks around the room a few times, expecting to see most of his friends still around the room, but he only noticed Morgana as he sat beside him.

“Hey. You finally woke up.” Morgana commented, his tail swishing back and forth behind him. “You must’ve been pretty tired from last night if you slept that hard.”

“Guess so…” Akira replied, sleepily running his fingers through his hair. “Where is everybody?”

“They’re still around.” Morgana answered. “Most of them are just exploring the house again to kill some time. After all, no one wanted to leave until you woke up.”

“....”

“You probably shouldn’t keep them waiting, you know? In fact... let me make it easy and spread the word for you.” With a grin on his face, Morgana trots over to one direction of the room where he knew people were still hanging around nearby. He jumps up to a nearby cushion with ease and takes a deep breath before calling out to them. “Hey, guys! He’s awake!” he yells.

“Really? About time!” Akira recognized Futaba’s voice from across the hall. And sure enough, Futaba excitedly came into the room with Ann close behind her. 

“‘Morning, sleepyhead!” Ann greeted. “You were pretty knocked out over there.”

“Seriously. I don’t know how you slept like that all night.” Futaba commented. “My neck would’ve been totally bent out of shape.”

“I’ve seen you sleep in stranger ways.” Akira pointed out, which earned a huff from Futaba in response. She frowns at him with a pout on her face, clinging to the book she had in her hands. Chuckling a little under his breath at her reaction, Akira then takes notice of the book. “Hold on… is that my photo album?” he asked.

“Hehehehe… yup! Your mom said we could take a look! So long as we’re careful with it.” Futaba’s smile turns devious as she cradles the book like it was her treasure. “We just had to see the ultimate treasure in this house… forbidden baby pictures! Should we start with the yellow raincoat with the matching hat, or the little magician with the top hat!?”

“I swear to god…” Akira sighed, shaking his head.

“Now, now… it’s not like we stole it or anything. We did ask beforehand.” Ann eased, but she had a playful smile on her face herself as she let out a single gushing comment. “But your baby pictures are super adorable. I had a feeling that they would be!” 

“ _Ahem._ Anyway…” Akira coughed, hastily moving to change the subject a little before he gets too embarrassed on the spot. “Have you guys been awake long?” he asked.

“Nah. Not too long.” Futaba then replied, shrugging her shoulders.

“We weren’t up for too long before we started moving around a bit. Some of the others woke up earlier than us though.” Ann explained. She folds her arms as she hums a little, trying to remember where everyone else has gone. “I think Makoto went out to the van to check on everything before we’ve gotta go back, Haru and Yusuke went out to check out the back porch… Futaba and I were checking out more of this floor after being around the kitchen for a bit and yeah, checking out your super cute baby pictures. And Ryuji…”

“Ryuji’s not with you?” Akira then asked.

“Nope.” Ann answered, shaking her head. “I think he went upstairs.”

“Upstairs?” he repeats, quirking a brow. He was admittingly confused for a moment as to why Ryuji went upstairs, but when he took a short moment to think about it to himself… the reason immediately became obvious to him. “...Oh, I know where he went. I’m gonna go get him.” he said, finally rising up from his spot on the floor. 

“Gotcha! We’re gonna let the others know in a bit.” Ann promised. “Let’s start with the back porch, Futaba.”

“Roger that! Come on, Mona!” Futaba beckoned as she immediately heads towards the direction of the back porch. 

“Would you slow down, Futaba?!” Morgana exclaimed, leaping off the cushion he was on so that he could follow Futaba and Ann. With that promise made, Akira dusted himself off and walked out of the room, heading towards the opposite direction from where everyone else was going. He heads towards the stairs in order to head towards his room, figuring out that it was where Ryuji would most likely be in.

When Akira went up the stairs and finally drew close his room, he noticed that the door was partly open. Seems like Ryuji didn’t bother to close it when he entered… but seeing as his room was indeed open, that must’ve meant that Ryuji was still inside. Akira then approaches the door to his room and pushes it gently, widening the entrance so that he could come inside. He notices Ryuji standing in the middle of the room with his hands in his pockets, casually looking around at everything… but Akira also noticed that Ryuji hasn’t touched a thing. In fact, if Akira were to really say anything… it was that his room was just as he left it.

Akira’s room was just a standard boys’ room, or so Akira would say. There was a TV sitting on a stand in the corner of the room, and nearby there was a shelf of various books, movies and manga that seemed to be collecting dust over the past year. There were a few cushions that were placed on the floor for people to sit in, but they looked like they haven’t been used at all. There was hardly even a dent in them. There was a desk that was sitting just below the window, where Akira would usually do his homework back when he was still attending his original high school. The surface of the desk was really clean, as if it someone had wiped down periodically. The lamp that was sitting there still worked if you turned it on. Everything that was on his desk definitely looked untouched. Akira’s bed, which was against the other corner of the room, was neatly made and filled with fresh sheets and a fresh comforter, courtesy of his mother. It looks a lot more comfier than the bed he had back in the attic. ( _There were no boxes or sealed buckets beneath the bed, thank god. Akira’s back can be more at ease in the future. His original bed was, for certain, the number one material thing that he’s missed while he was gone._ ) There were a few things that were used as decorations, like a old poster that was on the wall and a few old figurines that he’s gotten as souvenirs over the years, but they were very few things to take note of in terms of decoration. 

Looking back at everything now, Akira felt that his room was… emptier than he remembered it to be. The room was always a bit spacious, so moving around in it was never a problem for him. Be that as in may, that wasn’t what made him more acutely aware of the emptiness that he felt. Akira didn’t think that he needed much in his room back then, back when things around his hometown used to be ‘normal’ to him. But now… the empty space in the room was bothering him a lot. He felt like he could afford to put a little more life in this place now, thanks to the memories within the decorations he brought back with him. Even a little bed for Morgana would make all the difference here. 

“Yo. Finally woke up, huh?” Ryuji greeted. After being oddly quiet all this time, he finally turns towards Akira with a grin on his face.

“You sure didn’t waste any time, did you?” Akira said, returning his grin as he joined him.

“Hehe. Nah.” Ryuji laughed, casually brushing off his nose with his thumb. “I was gonna wait for you to wake up, but then again… I wasn’t gonna get much of a chance to check this place out if I kept waiting. We’re gonna have to go back home real soon, y’know…?”

“...Yeah. I know.” Akira answered, his grin turning into a bittersweet smile. Ryuji, feeling the bittersweet air over him, hastily moves to change the subject back to the room itself.

“But man… it sure is roomy in here!” he mentioned. “I mean, it’s not like the attic back in Leblanc, but for a room? Dude. My room ain’t this big! I could freakin’ work out in here! I bet you’ll have no problem putting up all of your stuff up from back in the attic. Hell, I’ll bet you’ll even have space left over!” Ryuji takes a quick moment to look at the nearly bare walls of the room once more. Akira couldn’t help but notice that there was a slight frown that briefly appears on Ryuji’s face whenever his focus lingers at an empty space for too long, but it disappears as soon as it came. ( _He noticed it too, Akira figured… the emptiness of days long behind him._ ) When Ryuji’s focus returns to Akira, his grin softens as he idly taps his foot against the floor. 

“When you get done being all settled in, send me a pic of the place sometime. Not that it already does, but... I bet this room will really feel like you when you’re done with it.” he said. “Just, uh… Don’t go all filling this place to the brim and all that. Save me a big enough space for me to sleep in when I come over and visit, yeah? Don’t worry! I’m sure I’ve got a sleeping bag somewhere in my house that I can use.”

“Heh. I’ll keep that in mind, Ryuji.” Akira assures, nodding. “We’ll try and think of something so that you won’t have to crash on the floor. Again.”

“Whaddya mean, ‘again?’ Are you talkin’ about…? Hold up. You’re seriously gonna bring Hawaii up now?” Ryuji gawked, a sweat forming upon his brow. “The only reason why I had to sleep on the floor was ‘cause you got lucky on the last draw!”

“True. But at least this time we’ll have plenty of room for you to sleep in instead of just leaving the fate of our sleep up to Lady Luck’s deck of cards.” Akira’s smile then turns from being bittersweet to being a wry grin as the memory enters his mind, and he laughs lightly as he remembers it. Ryuji, shaking his head, ends up joining Akira in laughter as he recalls the events of that night in Hawaii himself. In hindsight… it wasn’t that bad.

“Yup. Looks like I’ll definitely have some stuff to look forward to the next time I come by here.” Ryuji mused, lightly folding his arms as he drifts into his imagination. “I’ve got, like, millions of thoughts about my next visit already, man! I can have some space to sleep in and get real cozy like... I get to have my best bro show me around the town as we jog alongside the road… We could be playing video games, reading manga, having the second best meat and vegetable soup I’ve ever had…”

_“Second best?”_ Akira parroted, suddenly interrupting Ryuji’s train of thought. “Uh, excuse you? That’s my mom’s cooking that you’re dissing.”

“Hey, don’t get me wrong. Your mom’s cooking was really, really good. Like, _really freakin’ good._ That meat was awesome! But, uh… hehe. There’s just no way it or anything else can hold a candle to my mom’s soup! It’s just simple facts, dude.” Ryuji stated with confidence.

“Anything else? Oh, yeah…?” Akira asked, leaning forward a little as he folded his arms. 

“Hell yeah! That’s just how it is!” Ryuji affirmed, giving him a solid nod.

“You serious?”

“Dead serious.” 

“Really now?”

“Did I freakin’ stutter? My mom’s cooking is the best! There’s just no competition. No way, no how!”

“You sound so confident about that… You wanna bet?” Akira then challenged.

“Hah! Bring it, dude! Just come over my place sometime and get your mind blown. Once you had my mom’s homemade cooking, there’s no going back.” Ryuji huffed with pride.

“ _It’s on._ Don’t think that I’ll just take you shading my mom’s cooking like that! I’ll fight for her honor if I have to.” Akira declared, closing an eye at Ryuji.

“Well, look at that! As expected of our honorable leader! Too bad you’re so gonna lose. You’re not the only fighting for their mom’s cooking, you know!”

“Like hell I’ll lose! You’re gonna get _crushed._ ”

Ryuji and Akira looked at each other as if wild sparks were flying from their eyes in midst of their silly argument over which of their mothers’ cooking was going to be the best out of the two. After a while of their intense, competitive staring contest, they eventually broke out into laughter over the silliness of what just happened. They laughed so hard at each other that both of them double over with their arms wrapped around their stomachs while the sounds of their laughter filled the room.

“Dude… Dude, holy shit...! What are we even doing?” Ryuji asked amidst his laughter.

“I don’t even know…! This is so dumb, oh my god…” Akira gasped, wiping at his eyes.

“Hey, it’s your fault! You’re the one who got all defensive and shit!” Ryuji pointed out.

“And you’re the one who threw the jab in the first place! Second best my ass…” Akira retorted with a scoff, but then he caught on to what he was doing. His defensiveness would probably start the argument all over again. To that end, he smacked his forehead in his realization. “Oh, hell… not again!” he exclaimed.

“Oh man… we’re gonna be rolling at this rate over homemade cooking!” Ryuji laughed.

They continued to laugh over what happened, the room being filled with their howling laughter and their gasps for breath. Eventually the both of them finally calmed down enough to straighten up. Ryuji and Akira both rose up from their hunched positions as they allowed their laughter to die down. Even when they were calming themselves from their little bout, they still had wide smiles on their faces. The little argument was silly. So incredibly silly. But it was obvious from the looks on their faces that they were greatly enjoying themselves, allowing one last good laugh together before everyone has to go home.

“...But for real though, Akira.” Ryuji began once he felt like he calmed down enough. “You’re totally free to visit me and my mom whenever you visit the big city again. Just hit me up as always, yeah?”

“...Same to you, Ryuji.” Akira said, nodding in understanding as he kept his smile. “Don’t be a stranger. You know my door’s always open if you want to drop by.”

“Thanks, man.” Ryuji thanked, his smile returning as he idly rubbed the back of his neck. “And uh... Hey! Keep your chat ID fired up! I’m gonna update you with all kinds of shit. School, sports, manga, food, girls… you name it! You’d be so in the loop, it’s like you never even left!”

“That’d be great.” Akira replied with a short laugh.

“You know it! And I know that you’re gonna stay in touch with us too, right? You better!”

“Of course I am. No question.”

They both keep their smiles; Bright, and yet they held a little bit of that bittersweet feeling within them, knowing well that they would have to part for now. Eventually Ryuji makes the first move and takes a step forward towards Akira, just so he could wrap his arms around him in a tight hug. Akira returns the hug in full, patting his hand against Ryuji’s back a few times as the two of them stood together in their embrace. There were no other words that can be said that hasn’t been said already… whether it was said here in Akira’s room or back in Tokyo. Their physical closeness here was a true sign of their strong bond… and for Akira and Ryuji, that was enough. No matter how much time will pass, they knew that they will always have a place next to each other. As best friends... and as partners… These two were, in every sense of the word, thick as thieves.

“Come on, let’s get back to the others.” Akira then suggested. Ryuji nodded in response.

“Yeah. Prolly should be gettin’ ready, huh?”

\-----

Everyone was standing together at the front yard of the house, gathering their bearings until it was finally time for everybody to get in the van and head back to Tokyo. Yoshiaki and Akane were standing at the doorway, watching everybody say their goodbyes to Akira and their promises to visit each other whenever they had the time. Everyone even made the time to say goodbye to Morgana, who was sitting on Akira’s shoulder as he relishes soothing pets to his head or making some snappy commentary on his own. Standing here like this… making promises to keep in touch, joking around with each other at some moments, wishing each other luck on their endeavors, it made the fact that they were saying goodbye here all the more real. As much as they wanted to stretch the moment a little longer… they also knew that there was no point in delaying their departure.

“Don’t any of you become strangers, alright?” Akane calls out to everyone, wearing a relaxed smile as she descends down her stoop. “All of you are always welcome in this house. So if any of you want to drop by for a visit, just let us know. You’re more than welcome to it.”

“Again, thank you so much for letting us stay the night on such short notice.” Makoto thanked, bowing her head to Akane politely.

“I want to express my thanks as well. I really cannot thank you both enough for your kind hospitality.” Haru added, giving a polite bow herself.

“You can thank us by having a safe trip back to Tokyo.” Akane replied easily. As she casually puts a hand on her hip and glances at Makoto and Haru, she closes an eye at them and keeps her friendly air. “Besides, we wouldn’t want to keep your families waiting any longer than they already have, hm?”

“No, I suppose not.” Makoto said, shaking her head. But here she couldn’t help but smile a little. “I know in my case that my sister is waiting for me.”

“Sojiro’s waiting too... But he asked me to tell you three something while I was talking to him this morning.” Futaba mentioned, taking a moment to adjust her glasses a bit before she tucks them her hands behind her back. The mention of Sojiro caught the attention of Akane, Yoshiaki and definitely Akira in particular.

“What did he say?” Akira asked.

Futaba grins as she spoke more cheerfully. “Hehe… that the three of you are welcome to stop by Leblanc whenever you’re in town. Trust me, Sojiro’s curry is the best! I mean, his coffee’s the best too, of course. But nothing beats his curry! Take it as the Futaba Sakura seal of approval!” she proudly stated, pointing her finger in the air as her grin grew wider. But then, as if forgetting a little tidbit, Futaba hurriedly adds on a little apology. “Uh… no offense, Akira.”

“None taken.” Akira replied easily. As much as he’s greatly improved his craft under Sojiro’s teachings… the Boss is the Boss for a reason, after all.

Yoshiaki, who has been the most quiet of the three, smiles softly as he finally stepped forward and joined his family. “That’s definitely good to know. We’ll keep that in mind.” he said, nodding slowly. “In the meantime, please give Sakura-san our regards. And have a safe trip going back.”

“...Will do!” Futaba promised.

“Wait, wait, wait. Before we’ve gotta go, we’ve gotta do one more thing first!” Ryuji suddenly spoke up. Everyone turns to Ryuji with both surprised and confused looks upon their faces.

“What exactly did you have in mind?” Yusuke inquired.

Ryuji grins as he digs into his pocket and held up his phone for all to see. “We’ve gotta take one more selfie for the road!” he voices. “I mean, we’re all gonna still keep in touch, but who knows when we’re all gonna see each other in person, y’know?”

“Hey, that’s actually a great idea, Ryuji!” Ann said, entirely on board with this idea of his. “Akira’s not gonna be the only one that’s gonna be a little far from us. Makoto and Haru just graduated, didn’t they? It’s not like we’re all gonna be around in the same place this year.”

“That’s true… I’ll need some time to focus on college and my studies if I want to do what I wish to do.” Makoto mentioned. “As much as I would like to see you all as much as I can… free time on my end will most likely be scarce for a while.”

“...I have matters that need to be addressed concerning my future as well.” Haru voiced, looking a little sad at the thought. “I consider it to be very important, and that requires most of my attention if I want it to succeed. But everyone here is important to me as well, and of course I want to stay in touch with you all... So I think taking a picture with all of us together will be a good idea. It’ll be like… I’m carrying you all with me, even if I’m far away from you all.”

“Then that’s all the more reason to do it!” Ryuji chimed, grinning widely as he beckons everyone to bunch in close together. “Come on! We’ve gotta get a good shot!” he said enthusiastically, raising his phone up in the air as he sets his camera. Everyone groups together in a big lump as they all looked towards the camera, but seeing as the camera screen didn’t capture everyone from what they could see, the mood turns a little… antsy.

“Come on, Ryuji! Your arm keeps shaking! Keep it steady!” Ann scolded.

“I’m tryin’! I’m just -- Ow! Who the hell nudged my back!?” Ryuji exclaimed.

“Ow! Watch your big head, Ryuji! That was my tail you almost squashed!” Morgana snapped.

“N-Ngh! Tight space! Too tight! Let me breathe!” Futaba gasps.

“We really need a selfie stick or something…” Akira groaned.

“Agreed… this is a bit much…” Makoto sighed.

“Maybe if some of us would take a step back for more space…” Haru suggested.

“The composition of the shot is too muddled to account for everyone here… How undignified. This isn’t going to work at all.” Yusuke spoke out in his displeasure. 

Everyone shuffles and adjusts themselves as they tried to make the group shot work, all while they gripe and bicker at each other in the process. Eventually, Ryuji feels a steady hand take hold of the other side of his phone, and he turns his head to notice Yoshiaki standing in front of the group.

“It might be easier for everyone if someone outside the group actually took the photo.” he suggested, chuckling under his breath. “...May I?”

“U-Uh, sure? Y-Yeah, thanks! You’re a lifesaver, man!” Ryuji stuttered. He was completely caught off guard by Yoshiaki’s sudden appearance, but grateful for a solution coming to light. He then lets go of his phone and allows Yoshiaki to take it so that he could take the picture.

“Don’t worry, kids. Yoshi’s a better shot than he looks.” Akane assured, watching Yoshiaki take a step back and adjusts the camera accordingly.

“Make it good, Dad.” Akira called as he and everyone else started adjusting themselves more properly and got into the positions they truly wanted.

“Don’t worry about that. You just stand there and look pretty.” Yoshiaki replied, earning a amused smirk from his son in the process.

As Yoshiaki makes the suitable adjustments for a good picture, he holds up the camera to the group. Through the screen he could see his son and his friends positioned more smoothly and naturally this time, with some of them casually wrapping their arms around each other and others making peace signs to the camera. One by one, they all smile without Yoshiaki even needing to give the signal to smile. Seeing that level of ease and friendliness from them, he couldn’t help but smile to himself as he moves his thumb over the button. Seizing the perfect moment in time, he takes the shot.

_“Smile!”_

\-----

One by one, the former Phantom Thieves load up into the van, with Akira and Morgana looking on from nearby. Makoto was first one to board, given that she was the one driving. Ryuji, Ann and Futaba load up at the middle row, with Ryuji immediately rolling down the window so that they could be able to talk to Akira further. Yusuke and Haru takes up the rear seats, with Haru following suit as she rolls down the window and takes a seat near it. Akira approaches the side of the van where all of the windows were open, and everyone that were the closest to the windows eagerly stuck their heads out.

“So… guess this is finally it.” Morgana began, looking at everyone from atop Akira’s shoulder. “I don’t think there’s any reason for us to repeat ourselves from what’s already been said, so all that I can add is... ‘See you all later.’”

“You take care of yourself too, Mona-chan.” Haru said, smiling gently as she looks on from her spot on the van. “I also know that you’ll watch out for Akira-kun as well.”

“Heh. You don’t have to worry about all of that, Haru.” Morgana assured, raising his head up with pride. “What would this guy do without me? He’d probably off the rails without me checking his impulse control.”

“Excuse you?” Akira questioned, quirking a brow at Morgana as he shoots a disapproving look. The rest of the gang chuckled lightly to themselves as they watched them from the van.

“Some things will never change, I suppose.” Yusuke said in amusement.

“Dude, I don’t envy you at all.” Ryuji laughed. “But you’ll be alright. You two have been stuck together all this time. If Akira hasn’t gone nuts watching Morgana yet, then he prolly never will.”

“That’s true.” Akira agreed, chuckling under his breath.

“Yeah, taking care of Mona would be like, maniac mode in the long term.” Futaba added, snickering to herself.

“Hey! I’ll have you know that I am a very accommodating housemate, thank you very much.” Morgana scoffed.

“We know you are, Morgana. Even Ryuji does, deep down.” Ann assured, smiling as she rests her arms against the open window. “Things just wouldn’t be the same without you.”

“Lady Ann…” Morgana trailed off, deeply touched by Ann’s comment. Eventually, the conversation was interrupted by the start of an engine. Makoto had started up the van, making adjustments to the mirrors before she looks out at the road, making sure that they were in the clear. Once she was certain that it was okay to drive and get on the road, she takes a quick moment to lower her window and look back towards Akira and the others.

“Everything’s ready to go.” she signaled. “We’ll be off, Akira-kun.”

“Yeah…” Akira said, nodding at her direction. “I’ll see you guys later, okay?”

“You know it.” Ryuji promised. Just as Makoto was beginning to drive off slowly, Ryuji extended his hand out in order to grab Akira’s. Akira, in response, took his hand with a strong grip and a resounding clap, running alongside the van while he still could. And while they still had the opportunity, Futaba, Ann, Haru and Yusuke stretched out their arms and placed their hands on top of Ryuji’s, so that they could still hold Akira’s hand.

“Take care of yourself!” Haru cried out.

“We’ll be in touch!” Ann yelled out.

“I’m gonna update you on what’s going on all the time!” Futaba promised eagerly.

“Until next time, my friend.” Yusuke called out, raising his voice.

“Stay healthy until we meet again!” Makoto yelled out from the driver’s seat.

“And we’re definitely gonna meet again! No doubt about that!” Ryuji yelled out, his loud voice overpowering the sound of the van eventually picking up speed. 

“Damn straight we are! I’ll make sure of it!” Akira promised in return, nodding as a bright smile adorned his face.

Akira ran alongside the van as fast as he could and for as long as he was able to run. When he found that he couldn’t keep up with the van anymore, he eventually let go of Ryuji’s hand and slowed down. He waves at his friends as they drove off, seeing them wave at him back with all of the enthusiasm that they could muster. He eventually stops running, but he still waves at the van until it finally left his line of sight. Akira took a moment to catch his breath, standing in the middle of the road as if he was still seeing his friends drive off in the distance.

“Hey, we probably shouldn’t be standing in the middle of the road.” Morgana reminded him.

“...Yeah. Let’s go back.” Akira agreed, before turning towards the sidewalk. Akira walks back towards his home with Morgana in tow, meeting back with his parents, who were waiting for him to return. As he approaches the front yard of his childhood home, Akira takes one last longing look at the open road before he makes a confident, bright smile.

“...See you all later, guys.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys! Homecoming is finally finished!
> 
> This one was a experiment in so many ways. With me departing from my usual style and trying out a chapter format, trying to work out a steady schedule for uploading chapters, and of course, properly portraying this version of Akira's parents for the first time after taking so many notes and routes that I could take them in my notebook. Even coming up with names for them was challenging for me... but I think that the both of them turned out alright for their first outing!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and keeping up with this fic if you have! This probably isn't the last time I'll take on a long fic, though I'll definitely have to work out a better uploading schedule. I started the first two chapters in the spring, uploaded the fic proper in the summer, and finished it on Christmas. Yeah... being more consistent will have to be a goal of mine lol.
> 
> And as I'm making this author's note, it's still Christmas on my end. So Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and if you don't celebrate anything this time of year, or if you're reading this in the future, then I hope that you all have a wonderful day/night! See you all next time! c:


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